Warframe Amp Guide to Uncover the Mystery

In Warframe, much of your progression is based on how powerful you can make your, well, Warframe. Whether you’re optimizing your build through mods or just equipping your loadout with the most powerful weapons, you’ll spend a good amount of time just making sure your alien-robo-ninja buddy is ready to conquer the battlefield. But your Warframes aren’t the only warriors you need to kit out. Your Operator needs their own weapon to dish out punishment, all the more so since they can’t wield any of your guns or melee weapons. Instead, they use a number of Void abilities, the most powerful of which is their Void Beam. But you can’t unlock this ability’s full potential without an Amp. What’s an Amp? Our Warframe Amp guide will break down everything you need to know about this mysterious piece of equipment.

What is an Amp?

An Amp is a custom weapon usable only by your Operator that greatly improves the power of your Void Beam—that is, the laser-like beam that shoots out of your Operator’s hand when you press the primary fire button. Not only do Amps boost the damage inflicted by your Operator’s Void Beam, but they also provide a separate energy pool for Void Beam alone, allowing you to fire at will without draining your other Void abilities. Amps can also change Void Beam’s default sustained laser beam into different kinds of projectiles, and also add new kinds of secondary fire, increasing the ability’s versatility even more. The exact effect your Amp will have on your Operator’s Void Beam depends on how you build it—which we’ll get into later in our Warframe Amp guide.

How do I get my first Amp?

To receive your first Amp, you must complete two quests: The War Within and Saya’s Vigil. The War Within is one of the main storyline quests which will become available after completing The Second Dream. Saya’s Vigil, meanwhile, becomes available after you’ve completed your first bounty on the Plains of Eidolon. Once you’ve completed both The War Within and Saya’s Vigil, visit the faction known as the Quills on Cetus. They’ll provide you with your first premade Amp, called the Mote Amp. Be aware that the Mote Amp is merely your starter Amp. Though it’s no doubt an upgrade over your Operator’s unaltered Void Beam, it’s only a preview of the true power an Amp can provide. To achieve even greater power, you’ll need to build your own Amp—and that’s going to take a lot more work than just completing a couple of missions.

How do I customize my Amp?

After you acquire your Mote Amp, you’ll be able to build custom Amps that provide greater power and versatility. But these custom Amps aren’t easy to build. Each Amp is composed of three parts: the Prism, the Scaffold, and the Brace. There are several options to choose from for each category and each one costs Standing with the Quills. In addition, more advanced options require a higher rank with the Quills, meaning you’ll have to improve your reputation with the faction before being able to acquire their blueprints.

Once you have enough Standing with the Quills, you’ll need to purchase blueprints of one of each part: a Prism, a Scaffold, and a Brace. Prisms effect how your Amp will alter your Void Beam’s primary fire. For example, a Raplak Prism causes your Void Beam to behave much more like a traditional firearm, firing a long-range, semi-auto projectile with hit-scan, while a Granmu Prism causes your “Void Beam” to fire more like a multi-shot grenade launcher. Scaffolds affect your Void Beam’s secondary fire mode, turning it into anything from a homing beam to a ricocheting disk. Finally, Braces provide a number of various bonuses to your Operator’s Void Beam, from a higher energy pool to an increased Critical Chance. Once you’ve acquired blueprints for each of these parts, construct them in your Foundry and then bring them back to the Quills. Once you click the “Amp Assembly” option, you’ll be able to combine all three parts to create a complete Amp.

With several options to choose from in each category, there are dozens of different Amp combinations you can create, each with its own distinct playstyle and advantages. That means if you want to unlock the full scale of customization for your Amps, you better get cozy with the Quills sooner rather than later.

What happens if I “Gild” my Amp?

Assembling your Amp is only the first step of customization. To unlock even more options, you’ll have to Gild your Amp as well. To Gild an Amp, reach the Adherent rank or higher with the Quills and visit them at their Enclave. Inquire about their “Other Services” and you should see an option to Gild your Amp for 5,000 Standing. Once your Amp has been Gilded, it will be reset to Rank 0, but will gain a 10% boost to Critical Chance, a 50% increase to its Critical Multiplier, and a 10% increase to Status Chance. In addition, you’ll be able to install a Focus Lens to the Amp once you rank it back up to Rank 30, as well as Virtuos Arcane Enhancements, which add miscellaneous stat boosts to your Amp whenever you perform certain actions. Gilding an Amp also allows you to gain Mastery Rank from it as it ranks up, though be aware that a Gilded Amp’s Mastery Rank is tied to its Prism. That means if you’ve already reached max Rank with a Raplak Prism Amp, for example, you won’t gain Mastery Rank for ranking up any other Amps using the Raplak Prism. Finally, Gilding an Amp will grant you the ability to name it and change its color, invaluable if you want your Operator to get in on the true endgame of Fashion frame.

Amped Up

Amps are yet another indispensable part of your arsenal in Warframe. Though they may be a challenge to build, they can be the difference between victory and defeat when you’re scrambling around the battlefield as your Operator. With dozens of Prism, Scaffold, and Brace combinations to choose from, it may be a while before you find the perfect fit—but once you do, your Operator will become yet another powerful weapon, capable of taking on everything from common mooks to towering Eidolons. We hope our Warframe Amp guide will help you become the deadliest psychic child this side of the Origin System.